A Thin Line
by kage-kurokawa
Summary: Sanzo... Hakkai... and a white tiger cub... that's all i can say... oh yeah and mild shonen ai...pls r&r...


Disclaimer: Again, nope. I do not own Saiyuki. Never did. Never will. End of story.

A/N: Hi minna san! I'm writing my second fic... a sort of follow up for Waking, I guess... can stand alone though... sort of a side story I guess...

This is basically another one of those random ramblings that I had the habit of doodling when I'm not lazy... I wrote this just because I saw a poor blind cat crying outside today... It seemed that it cannot find its way to wherever it was going... my mom told that some kids played with it and hit its eyes with pellet guns... poor thing... and I began to ponder how life can be cruel sometimes to both humans and animals... thus, leading to the writing of this simple (sort of) little fic, that I thought I'd share... 8338? Of course... I just love this pair... they really compliment each other.

Please R&R minna! Puh-leeze! Comment, suggestions, violent reactions, the works. Please. (Author begging and trying to give cute puppy eyes, but miserably failing... hehehehe!)

A Thin Line by Kage Kurokawa

It was mainly an ordinary day for this little gang of four dangerous handsome ruffians, er heroes, that go by the collective name of Sanzo-ikkou, journeying to the west. One of those ordinary, boring days on the road, driving for miles and miles in a green jeep, stopping occasionally to eat or to fight the band brainless youkais that just happen to be passing by the path that they've taken. Five bumbling groups today. Made quite a good exercise routine though. Yes, it was just another mundane time in the life of four young men.

Yawn!

"I'm bored!" whined someone, from the back seat. "Nee, Sanzo, hara-"

Whack! Whack! Yep, that's the sound of the infamous fan landing atop a poor little head.

"Urusai!"

"Itai!!!"

"Hahahaha! Good for-"

"Whack! Whack! And another.

"Oww! What ya do that for you bas-"

Whack!

"Shut up!"

"Maa, maa. You guys are so full of energy today!" Hakkai flashing the famous Kodak grin.

"Demo-"

Whack!

"Maa, Sanzo... calm down a bit. I'm afraid we ran out of medication for lumps yesterday."

"'Ch. Idiots."

"Sanzo-"

Bang! Bang!

"That's much better. Although, you might not want to run out of bullets. We still a have one day of driving before we reach a town!"

"'Ch."

"Oi! Monk I'm out of cigare-"

Bang! Bang!

Momentary silence.

"Ne, Sanzo-"

"Damn the bullets, I still have the sutra!"

"Anou, it's not that. It's that we have to spent a night in a forest tonight minna. Hope you don't mind."

They say that deep dense forests hold many dark secrets. Especially in the middle of a dark night. Well, it wasn't a dark night really, with the full moon and the clear sky dotted with countless of stars. But under a very thick canopy of trees, one might as well have entered a cave. The gang of four followed the road that plunged deep into the heart of the dark woods till well into the night. Finally, their green-eyed driver decided to hit the brakes.

"This seems like a good place to stay as any, don't you think Sanzo?" asked Cho Hakkai.

"Hn." Was all the response that our favorite monk could spare. An affirmative 'hn' as translated by the green-eyed youkai.

The night passed peacefully. As peacefully as it can get in a deep, dark forest as this one. There were occasional howls of who-knows-what in the distance. The Sanzo-ikkou decided to take turns in keeping watch in this order Gojyo, then Goku, then Sanzo, and finally Hakkai. Hakkai was meant to be last since he was, after all, the designated driver and would need at least several straight hours of rest.

After tossing and turning into the night for some strange reason, Hakkai finally let up. It was only Goku's turn to watch. And the boy was miserably trying not to fall asleep. His form was slumped. His head would gently loll from left to right, then shoot up suddenly. Then back to the swaying. Then attempting to be alert.

Chuckling softly to himself at the unfortunate picture before him, Hakkai decided to take pity on him. Sleep is eluding him tonight anyway. He quietly got up from his sleeping bag, careful not to wake his tiny, travel worn pet, lying softly by his side. He then walked over to the tree where the auburn haired boy was gradually falling to ennui. Golden-orb shot up immediately.

"Hakkai!" He gasped. Finding himself caught napping, Goku promptly blushed. "Anou-"

"Shhh. Don't want to wake Sanzo now do you?" Hakkai smiled. "It's okay Goku. Go to sleep. I'll take over your shift."

"Demo-" the smaller boy began to protest.

"I can't sleep anyway. For some reason. Must have been the coffee this afternoon." The brunette explained.

"Okay. Thanks Hakkai. You're the best." Goku grinned before sleepily taking off towards his sleeping bag.

And then he stopped in his tracks.

"What's wrong, Goku?"

"I hear something."

A small whining sound greeted their ears.

"What was that?" asked Goku, looking around for the source.

It seemed to come from nearby.

"It's in pain..." said Hakkai. He began to walk towards the direction of the sound.

"Shall I wake Sanzo?" the question came but the brown haired youkai was nowhere in sight. Forgetting about sleeping people nearby Goku called out, "Hakkai?"

A certain sleeping red-head muttered a string of words better left unsaid before turning back and continuing his 'happy' trysts in the world of dreams.

But unfortunately for the world, and the little monkey about to be skewered alive to some tree with tiny bullet holes, a grouchy, ill-tempered someone was disturbed from a usual shallow dreamless slumber that made him thrice as irritable as before. And now, wearing the deadly killer glare, he turned to Goku.

"You looking permanent sleep, baka saru?"

"Ah Sanzo- gomen Sanzo..." the boy started, taking a step back. "You see Hakkai was-"

The monk turn around. Yes, Hakkai was not in his space. _That idiot._

"Where is he, baka saru?"

"Ummm. He ran off to the woods." Goku pointed to the trees on the left. "We heard a strange sound like crying over there. He said something about, pain- Sanzo."

"Stay here."

"Where are you going?"

"Stay here with the kappa. Wake him up and keep watch." With that the monk ran off to where a certain emerald-eyed brunette went earlier.

The auburn haired figure sagged to the ground. He didn't want to be left behind. Hmph. If he didn't know any better, he'd say Sanzo was worried. He smirked. Yeah, Sanzo's worried alright.

He looked over to where Gojyo lay snoring lightly. An evil grin spread over his features. He snickered. He tottered towards the red head and grabbed the ero kappas hair. He wasn't suppose to sleep, so he is going to have some fun, at the expense of a certain someone so immersed in dreamtime... (A/N: couldn't resist. gaahhh! Evil Goku Gojyo's hair ??? hahaha! Braids? Whorls? Pigtails? Or Dreadlocks?)

Genjo Sanzo, houshi-sama. The ice monk. The king of apathy. The stiff, I-don't-give-a-$#$ bastard. Running. Running?

Yes running after a stupid, reckless, inconsiderate, beaming idiot of a youkai inside a dim, dense, creepy forest in the middle of the night no less. Only the light of the moon illuminates his path. Oh well, that thing called...er... (an exorcising gun is poked at author's head in a dare to continue what was going to be typed... ahahah...) err... "that-cannot-be-mentioned-word" that makes people do the crazy, unpredictable things that they often do.

Okay fine, he was worried. Happy? Ever since that little "sleeping-on-me" issue happened, he'd be damned if he lets anything happen to Hakkai again. It's only been a few months after the whole thing, and that idiot runs of without warning in unfamiliar territory. Yes, it was decided, he was so gonna be dead once Sanzo got to him.

Not further off, he found the object of his hunt, back turned and cradling something in his hands. Beside the night-shirt clad youkai were several limp figures. Dead to be exact. Hacked to death to be more specific. Large creatures seemingly. Virtually unrecognizable, in the midst of blood and broken bones. Might have been forest beasts.

Sanzo heard a whimper coming from the bundle that the brown haired youkai held. The cradler, not giving any indication that he felt the monk's presence until...

"It's hurt," came Hakkai soft voice. He turned around and revealed a small, bloodied figure of a baby white tiger. Two of his legs were tied with small strips of cloth torn from its carer's white shirt. The tiny figure curled up in Hakkai's chest and whimpered some more. It looked so frail and vulnerable. None of the traces of the vicious, strong beast that it would grow into one day.

"Hakkai." Sanzo began. Then he hesitated. Hakkai's head was downcast, chocolate locks blocking his view of the latter's expression.

"Can we keep him for a while Sanzo?" Hakkai said quietly. "At least until it's strong enough to go on it's own."

Amethyst orbs looked down on the sleeping bunch of fur in Hakkai's arms.

"No."

"Why?" Wide eyes looked up and questioned.

"Excess baggage." The simple answer.

"Just till this little one regains his strength." The voice was defiant.

"No." This one's stubborn.

"Onegai..." Begging.

"..." Crumbling.

"Sanzo, please." The monk saw pleading in those beautiful green eyes. And a twinge of pain. Memories...

How the hell can he refuse? The man has turned his icy insides into mush... yes, it is still cold, but it is mushy nonetheless... (A/N: think, soft melting ice cream kinda mush!)

"Very well."

"Thank you, Sanzo."

"Let's get you cleaned up before we return. I passed a stream somewhere."

"Okay."

Two figures trudged the rugged terrain of the shadowy woods, heading towards a small flowing stream. Carefully setting down the sleeping tiger, Hakkai began to strip off his torn shirt. His clothes were drenched with blood. His arms are covered in crimson... reminiscent of that night...

The water was cool, and Hakkai shivered as it made contact with his bare skin. Sanzo sat at the bank, watching the brunette. Pondering... brooding silently as his companion washes up. Thinking evil hentai thoughts... and then some. No. Not thinking that much. Not really.

He line of thoughts were focused on Hakkai and the sleeping tiger he brought. He figured out that the dead bodies, or what was left of them, beside the cub were probably his family. The little one saw his family killed before his eyes. That the parents died to protect their, was very likely. Their blood soaking through the little one's body. Slaughtered by hunters in a game too no doubt. _Not youkai though._ The monk frowned. No, he didn't feel any residue of a youki, no matter how faint, because the stinking morons usually leave a weak that can stay for sometime. It's entirely possible that human hunters could have done it. Ah, yes, there's little distinction with what human or youkai can do when they think they have some form of power, an upper hand over others, whether it be their kind or otherwise.

The tiger is just like Hakkai. Seeing his beloved dying before his eyes, his form bathe in blood, as helpless as this little one...

Hakkai knew vulnerability... And understood. There's no difference for man or beast here, concept of helplessness is the same on both turfs.

After The brunette washed himself he carefully, he softly wiped the blood clotted fur of the baby cub before drawing it up to his arm again. He went up to Sanzo and quietly said,

"Let's go back Sanzo."

The monk was lifted from his quiet thoughts and followed his green-eyed companion. The latter was topless since his nightshirt was already torn and he used it to wipe blood off the still sleeping cub. He noticed a gash in one of Hakkai's arms.

"You' wounded."

"Oh. That. He scratched me when I tried to get near." Hakkai smiled an enigmatic smile.

"He thought I was another threat."

"Hm."

The monk saw the brunette shiver slightly from the night breeze. He took off his robe and placed it around Hakkai's shoulders, which startled the young man.

"Sanzo-"

"I'm not the one who waded in cold waters."

"Thank you."

"'Ch. You're no use to me sick."

"Oh." A smile.

The pair walked silently to where they camped for the night. It was almost dawn. Hakkai broke the still air with a muted voice. "Ne, Sanzo. You know why I took him in?"

"No. But you'll tell me anyway."

Quiet chuckle.

"When I saw him he was so vulnerable. Wounded and hurt. But he's a survivor. He may have softly whimpered in pain, but he growled when anyone came close. It was a bit difficult, but somehow, I convinced him that I meant no harm. And that I'm here to take care of him. I've got bruises and scratches all over."

"Hn. Stupid cub."

Another enigmatic smile.

"Once he got the message that I'm a friend. He let me touch him. Not really letting his guard down at all. No. That took time. Probably after I dressed up his wounds and all... And look at him now. Sleeping in my arms. The fierce tiger is a kitten after all. Maybe he just needed someone to hold him through the nightmares, ne?"

"I think I'll call him..." A smile. "Houshi."

"Teme."

"I think it's fitting."

"You will not call him Houshi."

"Why not?"

"Hakkai-"

"Yare, yare. You're no fun Sanzo."

A growl.

Quiet laughter.

But Sanzo knew. He also understood. Witnessing what he did many, many years ago... A memory deeply entrenched in his mind. You'll never forget that feeling. Ever. Sanzo protested in keeping the cub with them initially because, it reminded him of himself. Hakkai thought so too. He was right in way. The tiny cub made him look back on his human frailty. That he is not as strong as he would like to be. Human or animal, it is the same, after all there's only a very thin line in between. Yes, he clawed and struggled, and fought, and roared anyone approaching for a very long time. Yet someone, somehow, found a way to enter those defenses and make them crumble from within. Maybe never completely. Not yet anyway. But at least there's someone to hold him when the nightmares came. And now they're almost gone...

He smiled. For only his companion to see. A rare smile that said everything he wanted to convey. He was repaid with a warm, glowing grin that responded to all his unspoken statements.

Later at the camp... A certain redhead woke up feeling kinda funny...

I wonder why there's nobody around...oh well. 

He had to prepare himself now. He has make sure he looks absolutely gorgeous to the ladies tonight when they reached town tonight. He reached for a mirror. And then...

...the morning stillness was cut by a loud yell...

BAKAZARU! #&$&! I'LL KILL YOU WHEN I FIND YOU! #&$#!!!!!!!!

Owari

A/N: Ummm... all done. Did I get worse? What do you guy's think? Did I ramble too much? Did not make much sense? Questions? Comments... Anything... Oh well hope you guys R&R... THANKS!


End file.
